The Governor of Delta State, Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa, has advocated a better
funding process for projects being executed by the Niger Delta Development
Commission, NDDC, to facilitate their speedy completion.
Dr. Okowa made the call yesterday when the NDDC Acting Managing Director,
Mrs. Ibim Semenitari, led a team of the Commission’s management to pay him
a courtesy visit at Government House, Asaba.
The Governor commended NDDC for completing several projects in Delta state
and advised that the budgetary process of the interventionist agency
needed to be reviewed. He said this was necessary to ensure that projects
were adequately provided for in its annual budgets, in order to bridge
funding gaps.
Dr. Okowa said that it was good to see the directors of the NDDC going
round to inspect projects because, apart from helping to stir up the
contractors, it was also necessary for proper planning. “Until you
understand what is on ground and the extent of the challenges, you may not
be in a position to put together a budget or have a good financial
projection,” he said.
He commended the NDDC for emphasizing collaboration among the various
stakeholders in the Niger Delta, saying: “It is quite important that we
take note of this and I am aware that we have a Niger Delta Regional
Development Master Plan facilitated by the NDDC. The need for partnership
cannot be over-emphasized. It is very important for the NDDC and the
states to share information on projects to avoid cases of duplications.”
In her address, the NDDC Chief Executive Officer, Mrs. Semenitari, said
that the Commission had initiated about 28 regional projects and over 650
other projects across the 25 local government areas of Delta State.
She said the Commission is implementing projects such as bridges,
shoreline protections, roads, water boreholes, rural electrification,
solar-powered lights, skill acquisition and health centres, among others.
Mrs. Semenitari also revealed that the social sector is not left behind.
“We recently donated Lassa fever materials and equipment to the State
Ministry of Health as part of our fight against Lassa fever,” she stated,
adding: “Only last week, we had the finals of our programme geared towards
encouraging our young daughters to embrace the future by looking at
engaging in STEM-related careers. While I must applaud the Delta State
Ministry of Education’s support for this programme, it is our desire that
our states work with us better to encourage much laudable projects.”
The NDDC boss revealed that in the course of her inspection of projects in
several communities, she had been confronted by the poverty of delivery on
standards, stating that things should not continue in that manner. “The
new NDDC is determined to truly make a difference, and we invite you, as a
major stakeholder, to kindly work with us to achieve the goal,” she said
Mrs. Semenitari said it was important to build a more engaging and robust
cooperation and collaboration among all stakeholders, “from communities to
the civil society organizations, from companies and agencies operating in
the Niger Delta (local and international) to governments at all levels. At
the heart of the change agenda of the Federal Government, which
established the NDDC, is the imperative to build partnerships that improve
processes, quicken project, programme and service delivery, as well as
reduce overall cost.”
She noted that for success to be guaranteed, it was important for all
stakeholders to unite under one unimpeachable vision, adding that the
Niger Delta Regional Development Master Plan, which the NDDC facilitated,
provided such a platform.
She stated Delta State offered great opportunities for collaboration,
particularly in agriculture and aquaculture. She said: “The administration
of President Buhari is determined to encourage food production and
agro-allied business and a lot can be achieved when we work together in
these areas. Being close to the great market of Onitsha puts Delta state
in a special place, because farmers and processing concerns can find ready
business.”
She called on Delta state to also take over eight health centres which the
Commission constructed in the state as part of its efforts to improve the
health of citizens in the Niger Delta. “These had been completed,” she
said, “with two of them fully equipped, including with ambulances and
incubators for neo-natal care.”
She appealed to the governor to direct the State Ministry of Health to
take over the health centres in the spirit of partnership and asked the
government to also take over the fully constructed and equipped ICT skill
acquisition and training centre in Patani.